Veteran's Day

10:50 am

Thu November 11, 2010

Veteran Seeks to Help Others at Austin Parade

Thousands of people attended Austin's Veteran's Day parade downtown Thursday.

Photo by Matt Largey for KUT News.

Thousands of people marked Veteran’s Day with a parade this morning in downtown Austin. Gabriel Galindo served two tours in Iraq. He now supports other veterans through the Texas Veterans Commission. Galindo says when veterans leave the service, they often don’t want to talk to someone who hasn’t been through what they’ve been through.

“If I can come out here and talk to some of the veterans, let them know some of our benefits that we can help them with, whether it's getting money for education, finding jobs, showing them the benefits that are available to them. That’s why we are out here today,” said Galindo.

He said when he got out of the military, he was completely lost. And that the Veterans Commission helped him navigate the process and secure some benefits he wasn't even aware of. They also helped him transition back into the civilian world.

“They helped me rewrite my resume so it didn't sound like a military resume, but something that could be used out here in the civilian sector,” Galindo told KUT.

He said the majority of people on staff with the Commission are veterans themselves.